Maternal and infant mortality, morbidity unacceptably high
Aug 25, 2011
Maternal and infant mortality and morbidity is still unacceptably high in Uganda. Although there has been a modest decline from a maternal mortality ratio of 505 to 435 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births, this is still far from the Millennium Development target for MDG 5.
Maternal and infant mortality and morbidity is still unacceptably high in Uganda. Although there has been a modest decline from a maternal mortality ratio of 505 to 435 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births, this is still far from the Millennium Development target for MDG 5.
The current maternal mortality ratio translates to about 6,000 women dying every year due to pregnancy-related causes.
In addition, for every woman who dies, six survive with chronic and debilitating ill-health. Infant mortality of 76 per 1,000 is still high.
About 32% of all infant deaths are neonatal deaths (soon after birth).
Three quarters of neonatal deaths occur in the first week and the highest risk of death is within the first 24 hours. Neonatal mortality is estimated at 29 per 1,000 live births, perinatal mortality at 70 per 1,000 live births and mortality for under five years is at 137 per 1,000 live births.
The main factors responsible for maternal deaths relate to delay to seek care, delay to reach facilities and intra-institutional delay to provide timely and appropriate care. Skilled birth attendances still low at 42%.
Contraceptive prevalence rate in Uganda was 24% in 2006, though some reports now show 30% currently but that is still low. The unmet need for family planning is still high at 41% and yet increased family planning utilization is associated with reduction of maternal and perinatal mortality.
Unmet need for family planning means the number of women who are sexually active but would not want to have children or who want to delay giving birth but have no access to family planning methods.
Furthermore, about 80-90% of women are faced with advanced cancer of the cervix which is preventable and issues of gender-based violence are on the rise.
It is against this back ground that this year’s annual scientific conference and annual general meeting of the Association of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Uganda (AOGU) will focus on discussing innovations in reproductive health and scaling up family planning utilization.
Upcountry obstetricians and midwives are encouraged to participate. Reproductive health issues contribute a significant health burden in Uganda.
Therefore, as we continue with the count down to 2015 to have had an impact on MDGs, especially MD 4 (reducing child mortality by 2/3) and MDG 5.(reducing maternal deaths by 75%), the challenges are still many. We need commitment from all levels:
The politicians should prioritise health through appropriate budget allocation
Addressing the issues of human resource staffing in the rural health facilities and equiping them.
Promoting family planning to prevent unwanted pregnancies which are associated with deaths from unsafe abortions and also for people to reduce on the unmet need of family planning. One of the innovations is the post-partum (after birth) intrauterine device (IUD) insertion.
We need to embrace innovations that reduce the delays associated with maternal deaths.
Scaling up maternal and perinatal deaths reviews in all health facilities and later scale up to community death reviews to prevent further deaths.
Implementation of strategies to prevent deaths from common killer cancers.
The current maternal mortality ratio translates to about 6,000 women dying every year due to pregnancy-related causes.
In addition, for every woman who dies, six survive with chronic and debilitating ill-health. Infant mortality of 76 per 1,000 is still high.
About 32% of all infant deaths are neonatal deaths (soon after birth).
Three quarters of neonatal deaths occur in the first week and the highest risk of death is within the first 24 hours. Neonatal mortality is estimated at 29 per 1,000 live births, perinatal mortality at 70 per 1,000 live births and mortality for under five years is at 137 per 1,000 live births.
The main factors responsible for maternal deaths relate to delay to seek care, delay to reach facilities and intra-institutional delay to provide timely and appropriate care. Skilled birth attendances still low at 42%.
Contraceptive prevalence rate in Uganda was 24% in 2006, though some reports now show 30% currently but that is still low. The unmet need for family planning is still high at 41% and yet increased family planning utilization is associated with reduction of maternal and perinatal mortality.
Unmet need for family planning means the number of women who are sexually active but would not want to have children or who want to delay giving birth but have no access to family planning methods.
Furthermore, about 80-90% of women are faced with advanced cancer of the cervix which is preventable and issues of gender-based violence are on the rise.
It is against this back ground that this year’s annual scientific conference and annual general meeting of the Association of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Uganda (AOGU) will focus on discussing innovations in reproductive health and scaling up family planning utilization.
Upcountry obstetricians and midwives are encouraged to participate. Reproductive health issues contribute a significant health burden in Uganda.
Therefore, as we continue with the count down to 2015 to have had an impact on MDGs, especially MD 4 (reducing child mortality by 2/3) and MDG 5.(reducing maternal deaths by 75%), the challenges are still many. We need commitment from all levels:
The politicians should prioritise health through appropriate budget allocation
Addressing the issues of human resource staffing in the rural health facilities and equiping them.
Promoting family planning to prevent unwanted pregnancies which are associated with deaths from unsafe abortions and also for people to reduce on the unmet need of family planning. One of the innovations is the post-partum (after birth) intrauterine device (IUD) insertion.
We need to embrace innovations that reduce the delays associated with maternal deaths.
Scaling up maternal and perinatal deaths reviews in all health facilities and later scale up to community death reviews to prevent further deaths.
Implementation of strategies to prevent deaths from common killer cancers.